The present invention relates, generally, to the field of books and, in a preferred embodiment, to a self-illuminating book having pages shaped cooperatively with an integral light source.
For many years, physicians and other medical authorities have known and taught patients that the reading of books, magazines, and other printed material in the absence of proper lighting may cause eyestrain, headaches, and, over time, potentially contribute to the degradation of a reader""s vision. The same physicians and medical authorities have also taught patients that, in order to avoid such harmful effects when reading, the printed material should be illuminated by a light source of appropriate intensity which is located behind a shoulder of the reader. However, because readers may desire or need to read printed material in a location where such optimum illumination is not available, readers often find themselves reading printed material under less than optimum conditions.
A number of inventors have attempted to develop lighting devices which may be employed by readers in order to simulate optimum illumination conditions and to, thereby, avoid or lessen the harmful effects of reading printed material in less than optimum lighting conditions. For example, some inventors have developed lighting devices which may be removably attached to a cover of a book. Generally, such lighting devices have a clamp-like structure which enables attachment to a cover of the book and have a flexible or movable structure including a light source which extends from the clamp-like structure. By adjusting or otherwise manipulating the flexible or movable structure after attachment of the lighting device to the book, a reader may position the light source at a location which simulates optimum illumination conditions.
Unfortunately, such lighting devices are often cumbersome to handle and may be difficult for a reader to attach to the cover of the book. As a consequence, such lighting devices may be adequate for adults, but are less than ideal for children who do not have the dexterity or understanding necessary to handle such devices and whose vision it is even more important to protect than adults. Also, the cumbersome and purely functional nature of such lighting devices does not entice or encourage children to read and may, perhaps, even discourage children from reading due to the difficulties encountered when trying to use the devices. Additionally, the light sources of such devices may be difficult for children to turn on and off, and may become hot during use, thereby creating a safety hazard for small children.
Another inventor has attempted to address the afore-described deficiencies by providing a book with a light source embedded in the book""s spine. The book""s pages are each formed in a sandwich-like structure from an opaque sheet positioned adjacent to and between two transparent sheets. An edge of each transparent sheet resides adjacent to the light source so that light from the light source passes into the transparent sheets through their edges, thereby illuminating printing and/or illustrations on the transparent and/or opaque sheets. The opaque sheet of each page prevents printing and/or illustrations on the opposite side of a page or on other pages from being visible to a reader at the same time.
While a book having an embedded light source and pages formed from transparent (and, potentially, washable) material might seem desirable for children, light from the book""s embedded light source provides, essentially, backlighting of the printing and/or illustrations on the book""s pages and does not strike the book""s pages and reflect to a reader""s eyes in a manner similar to light created by a light source optimally positioned behind a shoulder of the reader. Also, due to variations and/or imperfections in the transparent sheets of such a book, light may not be distributed equally to various regions of the pages, thereby creating light intensity differences in those regions and rendering difficult the reading or viewing of printing and/or illustrations in those regions. In addition, because the light source is embedded in the spine of the book, an on-off switch for the light source may necessarily be positioned in a location which is hidden from view and/or difficult for adults or children to reach.
Therefore, there exists in the industry, a need for a self-illuminating book having an integral light source which requires no attachment, which acceptably and more optimally illuminates the book""s pages, and which address these and other related, and unrelated, problems.
Briefly described, the present invention comprises a self-illuminating book having its own light source, thereby enabling the self-illuminating book to be read or viewed by a reader in any environment, including those environments having less than optimal lighting conditions. More particularly, the present invention includes a self-illuminating book having a light source and a page having a notch, or cut out, to receive at least a portion of the light source therethrough, thereby enabling light from the light source to illuminate the page and other portions of the book.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a self-illuminating book presents a children""s story and includes a light source in the shape of crescent moon fixedly secured to the book""s back cover. The book further includes a front cover and a plurality of pages which each have a notch, or cut out, so that the front cover and pages each have an arcuately shaped edge which cooperates with an arcuate shaped portion of the light source housing and enables at least a portion of the light source to protrude, or extend, therethrough. As an advantageous consequence thereof, when the book is in an open orientation and a page of the book is in a position substantially parallel to the back cover, a portion of the light source protrudes through the notch, or cut out, of the page, thereby allowing light from the light source to directly illuminate the page, or pages, to which the book is opened or, perhaps, those pages located more toward the book""s front cover (i.e., and without traveling through the page material and backlighting the printing thereon). Absent the page being xe2x80x9cnotched outxe2x80x9d, or xe2x80x9ccut outxe2x80x9d, light from the light source would be blocked by the page overlaying the light source and, hence, could not illuminate pages nearer the book""s front cover. Similarly, the notch, or cut out, of the book""s front cover enables at least a portion of the light source to protrude through the front cover, thereby beneficially allowing light from the light source to illuminate the outer surface of the front cover when the book is in a xe2x80x9cclosedxe2x80x9d orientation. As an additional advantage, the notch, or cut out, of the book""s front cover permits the light source to become part of the design of the book""s front cover. In the children""s book of the preferred embodiment, a portion of the crescent moon shaped light source protrudes through the book""s front cover and serves to attract a child""s attention and thereby, encourage a child to read or view the book.
Notably, the light source of the present invention""s preferred embodiment is fixedly secured to the book""s back cover and cannot be easily removed by a child. By virtue of the light source being permanently affixed to the book""s back cover, there is no need for a child to deal with trying to attach a cumbersome light source to his/her book, thereby eliminating at least one of the difficulties present in prior art lighting devices. Also, because the light source is turned-on and turned-off by depressing and releasing the relatively large lens cover of the light source, a child may easily turn the light source on and off without being confronted with and confused by switches requiring more dexterity and understanding to operate than many children have. Further, since the light source receives electrical energy for operation from a battery and is substantially cool to the touch, the light source of the present invention reduces the possibility of a child being burned by the light source.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to illuminate the pages of a book for reading by a reader.
Another object of the present invention is to illuminate the pages of a book with light from a light source permanently secured to the book.
Still another object of the present invention is to illuminate the pages of a book with a light source that is safe for readers and, particularly, safe for children.
Still another object of the present invention is to illuminate the pages of a book with a light source that is easily turned-on and turned-off, particularly, by a child.
Still another object of the present invention is to encourage children to read.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a book.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.